All I heard this morning was some terrible coughing. Sounded like James Naughtie had a biscuit stuck in his throat. On radio coughing sounds far more dramatic. However, I never heard Jeremy Hunt's name muddled up with an expletive. Countless others did apparently. As Dudley Moore might have said to Peter Cook "It was a very rude word, I can't repeat it, but if we go down the Vallance Library we can find out what it means". I'm not sure what the BBC thinks about rude words. My guess is that they are quite happy for this particular word to slip out every so often so that they can repeat it and then tell everyone that it is a very rude word. Andrew Marr repeated it on his programme that followed Today. I didn't hear that, but no doubt there was conversation about it being a very rude word.
This topic is currently top story on the BBC website. I can't believe anyone there is complaining. "Good work, Jim! Great ratings for us. Pity you've got all those grumpy emails coming in".
I thought I did hear another slightly rude word. I thought Nick Robinson said that it was Vince Cable's "bloody policy" when talking of tuition fees. I thought I did, but maybe not. The thought that a rude word on the Today Programme can outweigh all else in the attention of public opinion must say something about us as a nation. It's all a matter of priorities, I suppose.
